Cleaner



March 5, 1940. M, DACH 2,192,769

CLEANER FQR AIR TANKS Filed April .9, 1938 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1940 i I UNITED STATES ATENT OFFI CLEANER FOR AIR TANKS Max Dach, Flushing, N. Y.

Application April 9, 1938, Serial No. 201,181

Claims. (Cl. 303-88) This invention relates to means or an arrangeton rod l2 connects the piston If) to the slotted ment of apparatus for cleaning compressed air end of a valve arm l3. tanks automatically while they are in use With- A cleaning cylinder tank or reservoir i5 is proout interfering with the use of such tanks. vided for receiving charges of moisture or dirt It is well known that water, oil, dirt, etc., often laden air, which charges are discharged in suc- 5 collect in the bottoms of air tanks and should be eession. A base i6 may be provided for the tank removed because of the damage or inconvenience l5, this tank being made air tight. Transverse sometimes caused by the same being carried with por s l7 d 3 are provided in the as s, s the air to the devices that are operated by the well as an intercepting port l9 one end of which compressed air. When drain pipes or cleaning is provided with a connection 20 for a pipe 2| pipes for air tanks have valves therein that must leading from e ap Plllgs 22 and are be opened manually, the operators often forget shown closing one end of the pipes l1 and IE, to open the valves, and sometimes leave the respectively. A connection 23 is provided at the valves open too long thus losing too much air. other end of the port If! from the plug 22 for the By the present invention, obstructions or obcleaning p 24 that leads from the bottom of jectionable solid or liquid matter are automatthe air tank I. ically removed periodically from compressed air A tapered or truncated cone shaped opening or tanks without an excessive loss of air and withvalve seat 25 (Fig. 2) is provided in the base I6, out requiring any attention on the part of the and the ports H and I9 enter this opening. A. operators. The means for removing the objecsolid valve 26, shaped acco d to t Va ve Seat 20 tionable matter from the tanks cannot be inad- 25, is p e in this V ve Seat With a diametvertently left in position to cause excessive loss rical po t 27 intermediate its ends in a position of air from the tanks. to register with the ports ll and IS. A port 28 The invention will be understood from the registering with the P t 9 e tends from the description in connection with the accompanying valve seat 25 into the tank 15. A short standpipe 25 :drawing, in which: 29 extends into the tank l5, where the port 28 Fig. l is a side view partly in section and partly enters. A drain port 30 is provided from the broken away, showing an illustrative embodibottom of the tank l5, connecting with the port m nt of th invention; IT. A stem 3| (Fig. 2) is provided for the valve 30 Fig, 2 is a, section along the line 2-2 of Fig, 1; 25, and the arm I3 is securely attached to the so and outer end of this valve stem. A compression Fig. 3 is a side View showing a modification of spring 32 is provided on the valve stem 3| besome of the parts. tween the seat 33 in the base 16 and a lug 3 1 In the drawing, reference character I indicates on the arm l3 to keep the valve 26 tight in the 35 an air tank that may be mounted on a street car valve seat 25 so as to prevent leakage of air. An 35 or truck, for example, or on a stationary support. outlet 35 at the end'of the port ll leads to the A compressor is indicated at 2, which may be an atmosphere.

automatic compressor of the well known sort The operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 which starts to pumping air when the pressure and 2 is as follows: 40 becomes below a minimum and stops pumping When theoperator turns the valve 6 to admit air when the pressure reaches a maximum for air into the pipe 1 from the tank I to do work, which the compressor is set. Pipe 3 leads some of the air passes through the pipe 8 and through a trap 4 for catching water and the like forces the piston Ill downwardly against the refrom the compressor 2 to the tank I. An outlet sistance of the spring ll, turning the arm i3 or air supply pipe 5 extends from the tank I, of the valve 26 to a position at right angles to and a 3-way valve 6 is provided therein for adthat shown in Fig. 1, thus establishing commumitting air to mechanism (not shown) through nication from the inside of the tank l5 through the pipe 1 for operating doors or for other purthe ports 30, I! and 2'! to the atmosphere. This poses for which compressed air is used. discharges impurities which may have collected A pipe 8 leads from the pipe I to a fixed 0311- in the bottom of the tank I5. 50 inder 9 the lower end of which is open to atmos- When the valve 6 is returned, communication phere and the upper end of which is closed. The between the pipes 5 and I is cut off, and the pipe piston ii) in the cylinder 9 is forced upwardly by 1 is opened to the atmosphere. The release of a compression spring ll the lower end of which pressure in the pipes I and 8 resulting therefrom bears against the bottom of the cylinder. A pisenables the spring II to return the piston ID to 55 the upper part of the cylinder 9, thus returning the valve 26 to the position shown in Fig. 1. This cuts of! escape of air through the ports 30 and I! and opens connection from the tank I through the pipe 24 and from the trap 4 through the pipe 2| to the ports I9, 21, 28 and standpipe 29, thus permitting a charge of air carrying impurities to enter the tank I5 and its pressure becomes the same as that in the tank l. The tank It is made very small in comparison with the tank I, so that a comparatively small amount of air enters the tank l5 each time the valve 6 is opened. Standpipe 29 prevents impurities that collect in the bottom of the tank l5 from escaping through the port 28. The operation of filling the tank IS with air laden with impurities and subsequently discharging the same occurs each time the valve 6 is manipulated. The valve 26 with its port 2'! may be located at right angles to the positions already described so that impure air from the tank I would enter the tank I 5 and be discharged therefrom when the valve 6 closes and opens, respectively, instead of when it opens and closes.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the parts corresponding to-the parts already described are designated by the same reference characters but with the subscript 3. In this modification, a rod 36 is attached to a solenoid or an electromagnet 3'! for operating the arm -!33 of the valve 263. A switch 38 in the electric circuit 39, 48, that supplies current to the solenoid 3? is connected by a connection 4! so that when the valve 63 is opened and closed the switch 38 is opened and closed and the electromagnet 3? is alternately energized and de-energized, thus alternately opening and closing the valve 253 for the same purpose as already described.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaner for cleaning an air tank while the tank is under pressure, comprising a base, an air and dirt reservoir mounted on said base, said base having a port in communication with the bottom of said air tank, a second port provid ing communication between said reservoir and the atmosphere, and a transverse port having one end in free communication with said reservoir, said transverse port intersecting the first two ports, a rotary valve having a passageway therethrough, said valve being located in said base so as to control the passage of matter through said ports, and means for turning said valve from one of its two positions to the other, said valve when in one position providing communication between said air tank and said r servoir for directing air and dirt from the bottom part of said air tank to said reservoir and when in the other position closing the passage- Way from said air tank and opening the second passageway for discharging air and dirt from said reservoir.

2. A cleaner for an air tank while the air tank is under pressure, comprising a base, an air and dirt reservoir carried by said base, said base having a port in communication with the bottom of said air tank, a second port providing communication between said reservoir and the atmosphere, and a transverse port having one end in free communication with said reservoir, said transverse port intersecting the first two ports, and a rotary valve having a passageway therethrough, said rotary valve being located at the intersection of the first-mentioned port and the transverse port for controlling the inlet to said reservoir and the outlet therefrom.

3. A cleaner for an air tank, comprising a reservoir, a base for said reservoir having a passageway from the reservoir to the atmosphere, a second passageway communicating with the first-mentioned passageway open at one end to said reservoir and at the other end to the second passageway, and a rotary valve having a single passageway positioned at the junction of the transverse passageway and the first-mentioned passageway to establish connection between the bottom of said air tank and said reservoir and between said reservoir and the atmosphere alternately.

i. A cleaner for cleaning an air tank while the tank is under pressure, comprising a reservoir, a base formed with a port in communication with the bottom of said tank, a second port in communication with said reservoir at one end and with the atmosphere at the other end, and a transverse port extending from the first-mentioned port across the second port to the reservoir, a rotary valve having a passageway therethrough located at the intersection of said transverse port and the second port, and mechanism for rocking said valve to alternately bring the passageway therein into registry with the transverse port and the second port, said mechanism including a rock shaft, a lever rigidly secured to said rock shaft, a spring for moving said lever in one direction, and air actuated means for moving the lever in the opposite direction.

5. A cleaner for cleaning an air tank while the tank is under pressure, comprising a reservoir, a rotary valve for alternately connecting said reservoir with the bottom of said tank and the atmosphere, and means for causing said valve to function, said means including a swinging lever connected with said valve, a spring actuated member for moving said lever in one direction, and means for causing air to move said spring actuated member in the opposite direction.

MAX DACH. 

